Ornamental trim ring for wheels



Dec. 21, 1943.

G. A. LYON ORNAMENTAL TRIM RING FOR WHEELS Original Filed Jan. 21, 19592 she etsrsheet l F El Z :1

G503 a: A aser l r0.

Dec. 21, 1943. G. A. LYON 22,410

ORNAMENT-AL TRIM RING FOR WHEELS Original Filed Jan. 21, 1959 2Sheeis-Sheet 2 Gsoncs dLBEBT' Ira/ Reissued Dec. 21, 1943 ORNAMENTALTRIM RING FOR WHEELS George Albert Lyon, Allenhurst, N. 1.

Original No. 2,279,330, dated April 14, 1942, Serial No. 252,095,January 21, 1939. Application for reissue April 12, 1943, Serial No.482,799

14 Claims.

This invention relates to an ornamental trim ring for a wheel and moreparticularly to a wheel rim ornamental member held on the rim by reasonof engagement with the wheel body.

An object of this invention is to provide an ornamental trim ring forwheel rims which they may intimately overlie an exterior flanged sureface of the rim and which is held in cooperation therewith by engagementwith the wheel body inwardly of the rim.

Still another object of this invention is to provide trim rings forwheels with retaining means, which is beyond thesurface of the rimconcealed by the trim ring, whereby the trim ring may intimately hug andfollow the irregular surface of the wheel rim.

Still another and further object of this invention is to rovide anornamental trim ring for wheels which may be economically manufacturedand which is simple to apply to a wheel having a central wheel body orflange.

In accordance with the general features of this I invention, there isprovided in a wheel construction an ornamental trim ring comprising, ametallic annulus shaped to conform with the external surface of thewheel rim and having an inner marginal portion formed to bear against awheel member and to have resilient sprung or pressed-on retainingengagement with another wheel member.

More specifically, there is provided an annular wheel rim ornamentalmember which has an inner marginal portion bearing against an innerportion of the wheel rim and which has its inner marginal portionprovided with resilient fingers or teeth for retaining engagement withthe wheel body of the wheel inwardly of the tire or wheel rim.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear fromthe following detailed description taken in connect on with theaccompanying drawings which illustrate several embodiments thereof, andin which:

Figure l is a side view of a wheel construction to which my novelornamental trim ring has been applied;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line11-11 of Figure 1, looking in the direction shown by the arrows, andillustrating in dotted lines the central conventional mounting for thewheel;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scalecorresponding to a portion of Figure 2 showing clearly the coactionbetween my novel trim ring and the rim and body parts of the wheel;

Figure 4 is a side view of a wheel construction to which a modified form.of my trim rim may be applied;

Figure 5 is a side view of a trim ring adapted to be applied to thewheel construction shown in Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken through aportion of the wheel shown in Figure 4 and illustrating the ring shownin Figure 5 applied thereto.

As shown in the drawings:

The reference character l0 designates generally a wheel trim ringembodying the features of this invention. This ring is in the form of ametallic annulus and has a cross sectional shape of irregular contour,as shown in Figure 3, so as to conform to and embrace closely theirregular surfaces of the external flanges of a conventional flangedwheel rim I I. v This wheel rim, as is well known in the automotiveindustry, is commonly referred to as a drop center type of wheel rim.Also, as is well known, the present type of wheel usually embodies twomembers, namely, the wheelrim or member II and a wheel body member l2,sometimes referred to as the hub part. This body member I2 is centrallydepressed in the usual way, as illustrated in Figure 2, and is adaptedto be mounted in any conventional way upon a central or axle support,one such support being illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 2.

The trim ring It! may be formed from any suitable metallic sheet orstrip, such, for example, as stainless steel stripping. When it isformed from strip stock, it is bent into the shape of an annulus and itsends are welded together to hold the ring in desired circular shape. Itmay also, if so desired, be made from a stamping. In either event, theinner marginal portion of the ring l0 must be formed into inwardlyturned fingers I6 which will be described more in detail hereinafter.

The outer peri eral edge or margin of the ring II) is rolled or'turnedback upon itself as indicated at l3 so as to conceal the outer edge ofthe ring and to enhance the appearance, of the ring, which may bechromium plated or otherwise finished on its exterior surface asdesired.

As noted before, the ring is of such cross section as to closelyjollowthe exterior surface of the flanged rim embraced thereby. In mypreviously patents trim rings, I have in several instances provid'edjheretaining means for the ring at the rear ofthe ring, so that suchretaining axis of the wheel, as indicated at l4, so as to embrace thewheel rim II at I5. This arrangement enables the base of the wheel rimto serve as a backing against which the trim ring III is pressed whenthe ring is applied to the wheel.

Also, the inner peripheral marginal portion of the trim ring I0 isformed into a plurality of spaced resilient projections or fingers l6which are slightly inclined relative to the vertical plane of the wheelbut may be said to extend generally in a radial direction or at leasttoward the axis of the wheel. These fingers or teeth It may be of anysuitable number. although I have illustrated them in the embodiment ofthe invention shown in Figures 1 to 3 as being eight in number.

In order to accommodate these spaced fingers or projections IS, thewheel body I2 is provided with a plurality of inwardly depressedsections II spaced from the base 9 of the Wheel rim II. It is into thesedepressed sections that the fingers l6 are adapted to extend andtoengage the surfaces [8 at the inner sides of the depressions. It shouldalso be noted that each depression is apertured at IS, the ensuingapertures serving to provide for the circulation of air to the brakedrum (not shown).

In applying the trim ring ill to the wheel, it is pressed or sprung inan axial direction upon the wheel, the fingers or projections l6 ridingalong the surfaces l8 at the sides of the depressions IT, in the wheelbody member l2. Also, due to the particular angle or inclination of thefingers l6,

these fingers will have a gripping or biting engagement at 20 with thesurfaces I8, thus retaining the trim ring l0 imposition over the outersurface of the flanges of the wheel rim being concealed. Moreover, itshould be noted that due to the fact that each of these fingers l6extend at an oblique angle to the vertical plane or, in other words,extend inwardly both radially and outwardly, any tendency to dislodgethe wheel ring I! results in an enhancement of the gripping engagementprovided by these fingers.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that I have provided a trimring which, when in retained position on the wheel, embraces one wheelbody member, namely. the wheel rim, and grips or bites the other bodymember, namely, the wheel body member I2. This arrangement is such as toinsure a tight and substantial support for the ring Ill on the wheel.

In Figures 4, 5 and 6. I have illustrated a modiis turned, as indicatedat ll, outwardly or back upon the rear side 01' the ring I 0'. Thisturned back portion I 4' is formed into a generally axially extendingrearward and flexible edge '20 adapted to be sprung or pressed into aretaining engagement with a plurality of spaced bumps or raised portionsIE on the wheel body member I! adjacent the junction of the wheel bodymember and the rim member II. I

In the application of this modified form of ring to the wheel, the ringis pressed in an axial direction upon the wheel until its rear flexibleedge 20 is snapped over and past the circumferentially spaced bumps orraised sections IS" on the wheel body. Thereafter the engagement of theturned edge 20 with these bumps I5 serves to retain the ring III inproper position on the outer side of the wheel rim with the turned edge13 hearing against the exterior surface of the wheel rim I I.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a wheel construction including rim and body members, an ornamentaltrim ring for one of said members having a marginal portion providedwith spring means for retaining said trim ring on the wheel, said springmeans hearing against one of said members and having its radially innerextremity pressed into a snap-on engagement with the other of saidmembers, said spring means comprising a plurality of radially inwardlyextending resilient ring retaining fingers.

2. In a wheel construction including rim and body members, an ornamentaltrim ring for one of said members having a marginal portion providedwith spring means bearing against one of said members and having itsradially inner extremity pressed into a snap-on engagement with theother of said members, said spring means comprisinga plurality ofradially inwardly extending resilient ring retaining fingers, and whichfingers are disposed at such an angle to the wheel member engagedthereby that. they will resist with a progressively increasing bindingaction any tendency to dislodge the ring from the wheel.

3. In a wheel construction including rim and body members, an ornamentaltrim ring for one of said members having a marginal portion providedwith spring fingers for retaining said trim ring on the wheel, saidspring fingers each being wedged between and in engagement with both ofsaid members.

4. In a wheel construction including rim and body members, an ornamentaltrim ring 'for one of said members having a marginal portion providedwith spring fingers for retaining said trimring on the wheel, said bodymember having a depressed outer portion and said spring fingers eachextending into the depression of said outer portion and being wedgedinto ring retaining engagement with said body member.

5. In a wheel construction including abutting rim and body membershaving a junction at the base of the rim member, an ornamental trim ringfor one of said members having a, marginal portion provided with springfingers for retaining said trim ring on the wheel, said body memberhaving shoulder means adjacent its outermargin and the junction of saidmembers, and said trim ring having said spring fingers on its innerperipheral margin sprung into retaining engagement with said shouldermeans.

6. In a wheel construction including rim and body members, an ornamentaltrim ring for one of said members having a marginal portion providedwith spring fingers for retaining said trim ring on the wheel, said bodymember having shoulder means adjacent its outer margin, said trim ringhaving said spring fingers on its inner peripheral margin sprung intoretaining engageinent with said shoulder means, and said shoulder meanscomprising 'a plurality of spaced bumps on the outer peripheral marginof the body part.

7. In a wheel construction including rim and body members, an ornamentaltrim ring for one of said members having a marginal portion providedwith spring means for retaining said trim ring on the wheel, said springmeans bearing against one of said members and having its radially innerextremity pressed into a sprung engagement with the other of saidmembers, said resilient means comprising a plurality of radiallyinwardly and axially outwardly inclined teeth for biting engagement withsaid wheel body member.

8. As an article of manufacture, an ornamental trim ring for wheelsincluding rim and body parts comprising a metallic annulus shaped toconform with the external surfaces otlthewheel rim and having a radiallyinner marginal portion formed to bear against one of the wheel parts andto have a resilient sprung-Yon retaining engagement with the other part,said inner margin of said annulus being provided with a plurality ofresilient fingers each of which has an intermediate portion formed tobear against one of i said parts and having an end portion flexible theother wheel part, and said end portion being forced into holdingengagement with said other wheel part by reason of the aforesaidbearing.

9. In a wheel construction including a multiflanged rim member and anabutting body member joined together at the base of the rim member, anornamental trim ring for said rim member and having provided at an innermarginal portion thereof means for retaining said trim ring on thewheel, said trim ring extending radially inwardly for cooperation withthe body member and having an outer margin overlying the side flanges ofthe rim member with the portion of the trim ring between its inner andouter margins spaced from the side flanges of the rim member whereby theinner margin of the ring is bottomed on the body member adjacent thejunction of said members for supporting the trim ring on the wheel.

10. In a wheel construction including a multiflanged rim member and anabutting body mem ber joined together at the base of the rim member, anornamental trim ring for substantially covering the exposed outer sideflanges of the rim member and having an outer marginal edge adjacent anouter peripheral edge of the rim member, a radially inner portion ofsaid ring being provided with resiliently flexible means for retainingthe trim ring on the wheel with said inner marginal portion supporteddirectly on the body member of the wheel adjacent the junction of saidmembers.

- rim member, a radially inner portion of said 11. In a wheelconstruction including a multiflanged rim member and an abuttingbodymemportion attachment means for detachably retain ing said ring onthe wheel. V

12. In a wheel construction including a multiflanged rim member and anabutting dished body member joined together at the base of the rimmember, an ornamental trim ring for substantially'covering the exposedouter side flanges of the rim member and having an outer marginal edgeadjacent an outer peripheral edge of the ring bearing and beingsupported directly on said wheel body member, there also being providedat said inner portion attachment means for detachably retaining saidring on the wheel, said attachment means telescoping an opening in thedished body member and retainingly engaging a portion of the wheel bodyinside said opening.

13. In a wheel construction including a multiflanged rim member and anabutting body member joined together at the base of the rim member, anornamental trim ring for substantially covering the exposed outer sideflanges of the rim member and having an outer marginal edge adjacent anouter peripheral edge of the rim member, a radially inner portion ofsaid ring bearing and being supported directly on said wheel body memberadjacent the junction of said members, there also being provided at saidinner portion attachment means for detachably retaining said ring on thewheel, said ring being resiliently flexible for application to andremoval from the wheel.

14. In a wheel construction including a multiflanged rim member and anabutting body member joined together at the base of the rim member, anornamental trim ring for substantially covering the exposed outer sideflanges of the rim member and having an outer marginal edge adjacent anouter peripheral edge of the rim member, a radially inner portion ofsaid ring bearing and being. supported directly on said wheel bodymember adjacent the junction of said members, there also being providedat said inner portion. attachment means for detachably retaining saidring on the wheel, said ring having a resiliently flexible portionarranged to hold said ring in stressed retained engagement with thewheel.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON.

